Chapter 123: Chapter 123

JONEA

Owen stepped forward, his body morphing into a massive, intimidating lycan form. “I’ll try to hold them off. You guys figure out how to break their spell.”

Without waiting for a reply, Owen lunged at the first beast, determined to stop it before it could cause more destruction. Meanwhile, Arabel and Miller began chanting spells, attempting to trace the dark magic controlling the dragonlings.

I stood frozen, unsure of what to do. But when I saw the second dragonling start to move, I knew I couldn’t just stand there. Hesitantly, I approached it. “Hey, you don’t have to do this. We’re here to help you,” I whispered, even though I wasn’t sure it could hear me.

The first beast fought back viciously against Owen. Their battle left the hall in even worse ruins. Eve, who was usually composed and cold, finally unsheathed her sword. “I’ll back Owen up. Protect Jonea,” she told Daran before leaping into the fray.

I tried to get closer to the second dragonling, but an invisible force held me back—a wall of energy, cold and oppressive.

“No!” I shouted desperately. “Please, stop!” I pleaded with the dragonlings.

“I know you’re scared,” I said softly. “But I promise we’ll take you home. Please, trust me.”

The second dragon’s violet eyes flickered, and for a moment, I felt like it understood me. But before I could do anything else, a loud explosion erupted behind me. I turned to see the first dragon had unleashed its fiery breath, destroying most of the room. Owen and Eve were injured but still standing, ready to keep fighting.

Panic overtook me as Daran stepped in front of me, holding me back.

“It’s breathing fire? How’s that possible? Aren’t their fire glands disabled?” Miller’s voice trembled with concern.

“Daran…” I whispered through my tears, watching the two dragonlings.

“They’re turning into red dragons, somehow,” Daran explained, his face grim. “The dragons from the Blue Dragon realm—like these—they’re supposed to have their fire glands sealed. That’s why they’re usually calmer and gentler.”

Grabbing Daran’s cloak tightly, I stared into his eyes. “Daran, they can still go home! They’re angry because they just want to go back! They have a place to go back to!” I said, my voice filled with emotion.

“What do you want me to do, Jonea?” he asked, his tone steady despite the chaos.

“Teach me how to do it—how to absorb the magic controlling them!” I demanded.

Without a word, Daran dropped his disguise, revealing his true form. His piercing gaze locked onto the rampaging dragonlings.

“Your selfishness has always been for others, hasn’t it?” he muttered before turning to me and placing a hand on my head. “Don’t worry. That’s why I’m here.”

Through my tears, I managed a smile. “Thank you.”

The room shook violently as the two dragons wreaked more havoc. The auction attendees had all fled in terror, except for those injured or trapped inside with us.

“First, you need to touch the dragon. That’ll let you absorb its magic,” Daran instructed.

I looked down at my hands, doubt creeping in. Could someone as weak as me really do this?

“After that, I’ll take over the absorption before your body breaks down,” Daran added.

Clenching my fists, I nodded firmly. “Got it!”

From beside me, Miller stepped forward. “Arabel, let’s distract them!”

“Got it!” Arabel replied, leaping into the battle.

Flames raged everywhere. The once-grand hall was now a chaotic battlefield. The screams of people mixed with the roars of the dragonlings, growing wilder by the second. I stood next to Daran, my body tense as Owen and Eve struggled against the first dragon at the far end of the room. They exchanged signals, trying to find an opening to strike, but the relentless fire forced them to stay on the defensive.

Meanwhile, Miller and Arabel faced the second dragon. Just like Owen and Eve, they were overwhelmed by the scorching heat of its deadly flames. I could see the sweat streaming down their faces, but their eyes remained focused, determined to find a way to subdue the creature.

“We don’t stand a chance like this,” I muttered, gripping Daran’s arm tightly.

“I know,” Daran replied, his voice calm but firm. “They’re too strong. We need to get closer to absorb their magic, but…” His eyes flicked to the rampaging dragons. “That’s not going to be easy.”

A massive fire blast erupted from the first dragon’s mouth, forcing us to retreat a few steps. But then, out of nowhere, a figure appeared beside us, moving silently.

Aland?

I gasped. He stood there, his expression cold, his eyes sharp as they locked onto the rampaging dragonlings.

“What are you all doing here?” Aland shouted, his voice booming with anger. “I told you, this isn’t your fight! Time to go home, you naughty kids!”

Before I could ask what he meant, Aland raised his hand, conjuring a bright blue water disk. With a swift motion, he hurled the disk at the first dragon’s mouth just as it was about to unleash another fiery breath. The disk exploded on impact, extinguishing the flames.

“Jonea, now’s your chance!” Daran yelled.

Without hesitation, I moved. Daran shifted into his lycan form—his body grew larger, covered in thick black fur, and his sharp claws dug into the ground. With his help, I leaped onto one of the dragonlings’ backs.

“Grab its neck!” Daran shouted over the chaos. “That’s where the strongest magic flows!”

But it wasn’t that simple. The dragon thrashed violently, its body shaking wildly to throw me off. Its claws smashed into the ground, creating massive cracks. I clung desperately to its back, trying to steady myself.

“It’s getting away!” Aland shouted from below. “Not on my watch!”

Aland summoned a massive wave of blue magic, encircling the two dragons in an attempt to seal them. But I knew the seal wouldn’t hold for long. Sure enough, within seconds, the first dragon shattered the building’s roof and took to the skies with incredible force.

I held on tightly to its back as the wind whipped against my face. At the same time, Daran was thrown off, crashing hard onto the floor below.

“Jonea!” Aland’s voice echoed. I glanced down to see him leaping onto the second dragon’s back. He was trying to subdue the creature, but I knew it wouldn’t be easy.

“Don’t worry about me!” I shouted, trying to reassure him to focus on his task. But deep down, I knew the risk. I couldn’t fail.

Taking a deep breath, I tried to center my thoughts. My hands reached for the dragon’s neck, searching for the magical energy that had driven it mad. It felt like trying to grab fire—intense, volatile, and deadly. But I didn’t give up.

With one final push, I managed to touch the flow of magic. A brilliant light burst from the dragon’s body, blinding me. I felt the energy surge into me, so powerful it nearly knocked me out.

But there were consequences. The dragon lost control, and we plummeted from the sky. The wind roared in my ears as my body spun uncontrollably. I could only close my eyes as we hit the water with a brutal impact.

The pain was overwhelming. The icy water engulfed me, dragging me down. But amidst the darkness, I saw a silvery light. A hand reached out toward me.

“Aland…”

“You reckless girl!” he growled, though his voice was laced with concern. He pulled me to the surface, saving me from drowning. I coughed, gasping for air as my weak body collapsed in his arms.

“I knew you’d come,” I whispered, barely audible.

Aland scoffed, but his eyes betrayed his worry. “I told you I’d always come back, didn’t I?”